Simon Osei-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, addresses the gathering
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has entreated illegal miners encroaching on the mining concessions of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA)-Obuasi to desist from the act to ensure the mining company thrives.
He explained that the resurfacing of illegal miners on the concessions of the mining company was among the major challenges that hindered its progress, leading to its closure in 2014.
Speaking at the launch of the Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for communities in the catchment areas of AGA in the Adansi enclave, Mr Osei-Mensah noted that the operations of AGA has numerous advantages of Obuasi, Ashanti Region and Ghana.
He explained that the SEDP represents the Social Investment Strategy for the Obuasi Mine for the period 2022- 2033, in addition to the mine’s commitment to paying $2 for every ounce of gold mined into the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund.
Stressing the importance of helping AGA to thrive, he added that the company is assisting in sustaining employment generation as well as income generation in the area.
“We are all beneficiaries of this mine, and we should not take this for granted. We know that several local companies are doing good business with AGA. I am aware of people within this enclave who are employed at AGA, except in areas where the technical requirement makes it necessary for them to engage people from outside this area. AGA continues to reduce the employment burden on the government,” he said.
Contribution to society
Mr Richard Jordinson, at the SVP Ghana and Tanzania Business Unit – AGA, disclosed that since the inception of the Obuasi Redevelopment Project, his outfit had spent US$1,028.59million, out of which 84.8 percent (US$860.1m) had been spent in-country on Ghanaian companies, some of them being Obuasi based businesses.
He explained that as the Social Management Plan drew to a close in 2021, AGA, through strategic consultation with its major stakeholders, developed a longer-term Socio-economic Development Plan for the next 10 years.
He further said that the mine would continue to pursue strategic relationships with their stakeholders to build resilient and socio-economically self-sustaining communities through Improved Social Development, Diversified and Sustained Local Economy, and Improved Partnerships.
The Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine, Mr. Eric Asubonteng, reminded stakeholders of their common vision stressing that the SEDP presents them with an opportunity to rally around that common course- calling for continuous constructive collaborations so that Obuasi and Adansiman can reap immense benefits from the ten-year agenda.
The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanet Mason, expressed excitement at the launch of the SEDP for Obuasi adding that the programme will improve the lives of the communities in the areas of education, job creation, agriculture, provision of equal opportunities among others.
About SEDP
The Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP), dubbed “Development Contributing to Resilient and Socio-Economically Self-Sustaining Communities”, is a 10-year plan which is starting this year 2022-2031.
It replaces the three-year Social Management Plan (SMP), which was developed to drive the mine’s social investment for the period 2019-2021.
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